printer

A printer is an electronic device that can print out a document by transferring information to the paper. It can also be used to scan, copy and fax. The printer uses a laser or inkjet to do this.

Lasers form beams of light with high power and precision. These are then directed at a photoreceptor drum. In modern color laser printers, these dots have a raster of about one mm, or 0.1 millimeter, on the paper. This raster is then stored in the printer’s raster memory.

Color laser printers use a combination of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner. These colors are pre-processed before printing. They are typically stored in four separate bitmaps. Each of these bitmaps contains a separate CMYK toner layer. Typically, a color laser printer will make just one pass for each toner color. However, some color laser printers have two or more rollers, which may speed up the process.

Inkjet printers use liquid ink. Unlike laser printers, these devices can be more expensive and often depend on liquid ink for its printing capabilities. Many color inkjet printers cost between 15 and 25 cents per page for color.

For black-and-white prints, most laser and inkjet printers run between five and ten cents per page. Unlike inkjet printers, however, lasers tend to produce high voltages inside the printer. Such voltages can cause corona discharge and ionized nitrogen and oxygen.

Color laser printers are usually slower than monochrome versions. Their raster memory must be large enough to hold all the pages. At 300 dpi, a letter-size page will require at least 4 megabytes of memory. Those that can handle 600 dpi will need at least 16 megabytes.

Some modern all-in-one printers are capable of both color and black-and-white prints. If you’re looking for a printer with both features, check out the HP Deskjet 3020. Among its many features, the printer has built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy and a front-facing USB-A port. Additionally, the printer has an automatic document feeder, fast print speeds, and high-capacity toner.

Color ink is typically composed of dyes and compounds. A few fonts, such as Courier, use less ink than Arial. Also, the “draft” option on some printers uses less ink than the standard “draft” mode. To get the most out of your printer, you should choose the appropriate print mode for the type of document you are printing.

To avoid waste, it’s wise to use an ink test before putting an ink cartridge into the printer. Most companies offer free recycling programs for cartridges. You can also take steps to save ink, such as switching from draft to “no draft” when printing.

Laser printers can also have auto-duplexing and scanning features. With these features, you can copy and fax without having to use a separate machine. Plus, many all-in-one models come with WiFi, which allows you to print from your mobile device or cloud service.

In addition to offering affordable printing options, a few cost-efficient printers have WiFi connectivity, a scanner, and touch screen navigation. If you’re interested in purchasing a printer that offers all of these conveniences, a CR member can help you find the perfect printer for your needs.